Kathy Renee Bufkin Paine, 59, passed away peacefully at St. Mary’s Hospital Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011 due to complications from surgery. 

She was born June 25, 1951, in Princeton.

With her passing, the world lost an artist, musician, community leader, energetic mother and wonderful wife.

Kathy is survived by the love of her life, her husband, Dennis Paine of Carmi, Ill.; her children and grandchildren, Chris, Angie, Tristan and Chase Bufkin of Franklin, Ind., Charity Renee Hall of Chicago, Ill., Esther (Estee) and Chris Woods of Greenwood, Penny Hall of Bedford, NY.; sisters, Darlene Funk, Diane Martini, Patricia Patton and Barbara Truman.

 As a child, she and her mother would sing and play the piano together for hours. To Kathy, those were the best of her childhood times. Those moments of peace and security gave her a love of music and the arts that would last a lifetime and later be passed down to her children.

 Kathy attended Princeton High School and was a graduate of the class of 1969. She continued her education at Indiana State University (ISUE). She also attended University of Southern Indiana Wabash Valley College.

 She was an art teacher at Mt. Vernon Senior High School in Mt. Vernon, Ind. for many years and was known as the beloved “Mrs. LeClere”.  She was a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma and Phi Delta Kappa sororities and was active in her community. She served as president of Friends of the Library in Carmi, Ill., which she enjoyed very much.

 Kathy was preceded in death by her father, Robert Leo Sid Bufkin who died tragically of an automobile racing accident in 1952; grandparents, Esther and Sid Bufkin of Mt. Carmel, Ill.; mother, Grace K. Sisson of Casselberry, Fla.; stepfather, Darwin L. Sisson of Casselberry, Fla.; and sister, Sidna M. Bufkin Stewart of Lumberton, Texas.

 Today, we are all the lessor because of her death, even while the world was made better by her life.

A gathering will take place from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, March 12, 2011 at the Elks 277 in Mt. Vernon, Ind., where a memorial service will be conducted at 3 p.m.